Work halted on Highway 97 rock slide

Because of the high winds and snowfall, rock scaling work on Highway 97 north of Summerland has been halted for the rest of the day.

Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure say scaling and drilling will resume early Wednesday morning, weather permitting, following a safety assessment.

The 900-metre Callan Road detour around the rock slide remains open for light vehicles and commercial trucks.

Drivers can expect occasional stoppages of up to 45 minutes to allow for blasting work. This will not happen between 7 and 9 a.m. or between 4 and 6 p.m.

The next blast is scheduled for Thursday.

The speed limit through the detour is 30 kilometres an hour. Commercial vehicles wider than 3.8 metres are only permitted between midnight and 5 a.m. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed on the detour.

Argo Road Maintenance Inc. is continuing to maintain the detour.

There is no estimated timeline for reopening the highway, but ministry officials say it will be opened as soon as it is safe to do so.